As the quarter draws to a close and classes begin to wrap up, there is still one more obstacle to overcome before you can enjoy your Spring Break: finals. Finals can make or break your grade, especially if you are on the edge of passing. And, as studying gets into full swing, you may find yourself distracted or bored hitting the books. However, instead of quitting and booting up Netflix, try one of these apps to boost your productivity and keep your mind focused on the task at hand—something you will thank yourself for when your teacher uploads final grades to Canvas and Blackboard.
As your schedule gets more and more hectic and the number of tasks that need to be accomplished grows, it is not uncommon for a few of these tasks to be forgotten and slip through the cracks. This is where Clear comes in. Clear is an app that allows you to make multiple to-do lists for any aspect of your life, as well as set reminders in case you are too busy to check for yourself.
A clean interface combined with simple gesture controls (swiping up and down, left and right, etc.) makes the app extremely user-friendly. Not bogged down by unnecessary features, Clear allows a simple and effective way to manage your to-do lists in a way that ensures you will use the app long after finals wrap up.
When faced with large amounts of content to learn, such as equations or definitions, it is easy to become discouraged and give up, or to simply skim them and hope for the best. As a much more dynamic alternative to a page of definitions, Quizlet allows you to make personal virtual flashcards for whatever you need to learn. Quizlet also offers the option of sharing these flash cards with friends, making studying more effective and resulting in a more cooperative experience overall.
Although many people know of Quizlet’s website, they also have an app available for both iOS and Android, making it easier than ever to study on the go or in places where you don’t have access to a computer or the internet.
Sometimes, no matter how much you want to study, it can be all too easy to succumb to the distraction of the internet. Everyone has started a five-minute Facebook break that turned into wondering how it was already 1 a.m., or decided to watch “just one episode” of a show on Netflix only to end up making it to the season finale. To remove the plethora of distractions the Internet has to offer, consider using the application SelfControl.
Available for Mac users, SelfControl is free software that allows you make a list of all the websites you want to block, set a time they are unblocked, press “Start” and begin a period of uninterrupted studying free from online distractions.
And, although it may be tempting to turn off the app “just for a few minutes”, the app can’t be disabled, so you must simply let the time expire. Even restarting your computer or deleting the app will not alter the time left until the websites are unblocked, so reserve SelfControl for only the most dedicated of study sessions. For PC users a similar option is available: LeechBlock, an extension for Firefox and Google Chrome.
Although final exams can be a stressful time for everyone, it doesn’t mean that you have to go through this time alone. If you find yourself frequently distracted or needing to keep track of what you are studying, these apps and many more can help you focus and work hard when it counts the most.
